Fridge

On 3/24/2024 at 8:49 PM, 1-0-0-1-0-0-1 said:

I'm going to vote Page in this one, but for one specific reason. When you're listening to a riff in a Rush song, it could have been written by Alex or Geddy. In fact, I'd estimate that Geddy was more the riff guy and Alex was the chord guy, especially all those beautiful and inventive arpeggios.

 

The more I think about it, I might have voted for Page anyway.

That's an important point actually......particularly in the early albums Geddy will have written a fair percentage of guitar lines....because he was such a monster on the bass, he must be at least a competent guitarist, and probably a pretty good one.

On 4/18/2024 at 6:39 PM, treeduck said:

What about Johnny Red?

Sure, I bet the wartime comic hero could spank his plank

Lifeson by a country mile.......yes, Page has an undoubted influence, but I just don't idolise him the way others do.

On 3/25/2024 at 8:47 PM, JARG said:

Just finished listening, here are the notes I jotted down.

 

Edge Of Life - vocals and bass lost in the mix. Cool guitar parts, crashes are too loud, solo has elements of lifeson and thayil
Invisible Hand - love how it starts, but ok we're 1:28 minutes in and still noodling...vocals mixed well
Ready Player One - it's been forever since I've heard it, still a cool song...clearly I'm summoning the ghost of p/g-era Alex here
Shoulder - another cool intro, and super cool guitar parts throughout
Hearts - "oh hell yeah" at lone intro guitar, delightfully bizarre organ solo, killer guitar solo
Spades - "oh hell yeah" at lone intro guitar again!
Clubs - cool middle section, didn't see that coming - slight hint of Hocus Pocus
Diamonds - cool groove, really like how raw the guitar is here, sounds like single guitar tracks for most part
Sometimes It Does - sounds like a Carter composition, nice song, well-executed guitar solo
Variable, This is Knife  - like the bass level in the intro
Words that Hurt to Hear - very interesting, so Jeremy
Sarajevo Rose - interesting choice for a closer, nice guitar work

Thanks for the feedback John and taking the time to listen, and believe me, any praise for my guitar playing from a player like yourself is very much appreciated!....I loved RP1 and enjoyed the Lifesonesque approach to the guitar work.

On 3/24/2024 at 4:48 PM, 1-0-0-1-0-0-1 said:

I'm writing this as I listen.

 

1. Edge of Life

Solid opener! My only gripe is in the solo section. That section is awesome, love how it goes into the double time feel, but all of those crash cymbals get in the way of a very good guitar solo. There are two bars where it's just ride cymbal and in that one spot the guitar is allowed to shine.

 

2. Invisible Hand

The very top of the intro reminded me of Aerosmith's Sweet Emotion, but not for long. That moody intro took its time, in fact the whole song took its time, and it worked. I didn't realize this song was over 8 minutes long until after it was over, which is always a good thing. Some nice surprise chord changes.

 

3. Ready Player One

Rush's post-synth era had it's share of bad songs, and also some good ones. This reminds me of the good ones. Nice arrangement, and the guitar sound under the vocals is perfect. Very nice solo at the end.

 

4. Shoulder

That intro is kinda creepy, love it. There's a sinister undertone going on throughout, very effective. My favorite track up till this point. If I had to gripe about something, the drum patterns didn't quite sell some of the time changes. Also, I thought the ending faded too soon -- that bass drum and guitar pattern sounded cool and could have been allowed to establish itself a little more with a few more bars and a slower fadeout. Just my opinion, it certainly isn't a mistake.

 

5. Hearts

Great guitar riff! The organ in the background is the perfect choice for this one. That first solo -- what am I hearing there? It's well played and melodic but it sounds a little out of tune, at least to my ears. The guitar solo makes up for it, though. It's an absolute banger.

 

6. Spades

Another good guitar riff, and tone for days too. Nice contrast to a cleaner tone for the verses. The bridge into the solo section was a very nice change of feel. The best drum programming so far. Second favorite track as of now.

 

7. Clubs.

I could be wrong, but I sense a theme in these last three song titles. I also sense that these three tunes have great guitar riffs. Coincidence? Probably not. That middle section is goddamn awesome.

 

8. Diamonds

Yep, I was right, another card title, another  cool riff. Sounds like you hired Les Claypool for the verse vocals, and it works! Nice breakdown after the middle section. And there's a cool bass bit towards the end -- Les would approve!

 

9. Sometimes it Does

Nice song, very melodic. Has a nice flow. The feel change for the middle section was very effective, but for me the edgy note choices in the beginning of the guitar solo don't quite fit the mood of the song. Just my opinion -- it just felt funny for that one bar. Once you're past that, however, that solo is on point and it rips. Perfect tone and playing. One minor point about the fadeout, and it's the same point made earlier -- the ending here was good and I thought it faded too early. Maybe let it go for at least four bars before starting the fade?

 

10. Variable, This is Knife

An 8-1/2-minute song with a title that references Clear And Present Danger? Cool! "Do we have a gig, over?" However, while there are some nice ideas here, and the bass work is excellent, it feels like a long buildup without a payoff. I know I sounded like music critic there, sorry about that. Just like that scene in the movie, I was waiting for the "impact with high-order detonation" and it never came.

 

11. Words that Hurt to Hear

The '80s! Nothing but smiles during this one. Good example of edgy note choices that work well and serve the song. The ending was maybe a little abrupt but this is a fun and well-executed track.

 

12. Sarajevo Rose

That transition at 1:55 is one that perks your ears up. This is right up there with Spades as my second/third favorite. Nice songwriting and arrangement, and a solid album closer.

 

 

 

Sorry I haven't been around for a few days, so first time seeing this....Really appreciate your time here Jim in listening and commenting, and believe me, praise from such an accomplished player as yourself re guitar playing is very gratifying indeed....it's by no means a perfect album, but we're proud of it and it's great that there's something for everyone here.

Hey folks...our 9th and latest offering...as usual, feel free to listen and constructive feedback always welcome

https://sloppyfootcowboys.bandcamp.com/album/straitjacket

When I started working in Casualty then Psychiatric wards.....long hair was far too easy a target for aggressive drunks and mentally disturbed people.

After having several clumps painfully pulled out by the roots I though f**k it and started using clippers.

Neither...that title was claimed long ago by ABBA's SOS....

On 11/20/2023 at 7:38 PM, condemned2bfree said:

 

Very nice Stephen, great job with the vocal production, you achieved both warmth and clarity....heartfelt message lyrically too.

Still hearing a hint of The Big O  in your voice which is certainly no bad thing!

Lovely acoustic guitar tone too.

I really liked this album (how on Earth did I miss it?) and can echo Jers sentiment about the maturity and restraint...production as always is excellent and there is a hint of new wave about it.

Really nice job from start to finish...will be a shame if this is the last effort from you.

On 11/22/2023 at 6:03 AM, stoopid said:

Oh, and very much worth noting -- Paul's guitar work on several of these songs is very interesting and accomplished.  I kinda feel like this project has given him an opportunity to explore the instrument more than he seemed to on the earlier albums.  His musical fingerprints are all over this album in a good way.

What can I say to this?.....coming from you this is high praise indeed, and I'm very grateful.

You're right, I think I've had more free time to spend on this album, and I agree it shows....I fell in love with playing again after a period of frustration and disillusionment and have been able to learn a few more techniques (including a weird hybrid sweep/tapping) which have added to my arsenal)

Anyway, enough about all that, appreciate the acknowledgement and onwards and upwards.....

On 11/22/2023 at 5:57 AM, stoopid said:

Finally managed a full listen through uninterrupted.  Fishtail definitely jumps out.  The obvious Primus nods in there duly noted.  ;)

 

I like the musical idea of the song that followed (Bite Marks), but Mike's vocals are just a bit too muddied so I'd need lyrics for that one.

 

The opening track and the intentional dissonance I found somewhat off putting, but I wouldn't say it was failed execution maybe just a couple overdub choices that may have created a bit too much attitude/tension.

 

Very ambitious mix of styles, sometimes within the same song.  It feels like a natural progression from the past couple albums.  I'd say an incremental bump in the mix quality, very little jumps out at me when listening critically.

 

The drums are improved, though still sometimes a bit mechanical overall I thought they felt more 'live'/session player.  Your vocals worked but I might have EQ'd and effected them to give them a bit more meat.  We could do a mix session sometime if you'd like I could remote into your computer and we can tinker with The Wheel or one of the other tracks I thought needed a bit of adjustment/different strategy.  On the other end of the spectrum, Mike's vocals seemed to always have a bit too much effect on them.  Sometimes less is more, which allows the moments where effects are used to help elevate those moments with greater impact.

 

Anyway, degraded into rambling about mix engineering.

As ever, very valuable feedback from you Kevin, and I (and I'm sure the others) will take your suggestions for improvement on board.....I like the idea of the mix session, anything that helps I'm on board with....When I have the time (and you) I think I'd like to pick your brains on the finer points of de-essing, I'm not sure I'm getting the best out of that effect.

Anyway, thanks very much for taking the time to critique our latest "opus", it means a lot....

Ok, after seeing the reviews and opinions of many others, I am engaging in a humiliating climbdown and have ordered the hardcover....I'll let you know my opinions of it when I read it.

Feel free to let the flaming commence  

54 minutes ago, Rush Didact said:

 

Do you not read biographies in general, or do you just avoid ones related to music you enjoy?

Ha, good one....

I'm not really a fan of biographies at all come to think of it......

On 11/19/2023 at 1:23 AM, Principled Man said:

 

 

Those people are simply miserable.  The popular expression Misery loves company is a true statement.  When people are miserable, they often try to make others share their misery.  They don't like seeing happy people, so they try their best to make them unhappy.    

Really?

I can assure you I am not a miserable person and have no interest whatsoever in making others that way.

The fact that I have no interest in buying Geddys book surely can't be taken as me trying to upset people?...if so, Jeez.

On 11/18/2023 at 3:25 PM, snowdog2112 said:

No offense but I will never understand people who are members of a forum dedicated to some particular passion and they insist on making clear they how bored and uninterested they are all the time. It's not enough to ignore what they don't care about, they want people to know that they're dismissive about it. There's a guy on a football board that I follow and most of his contributions are things like "I wouldn't go back for a game if I had a free ticket" and such. Every win is met with silence and every loss is met with bitter mockery by this person who claims to be a long-time fan and says he went to this university.

 

There are a million things I don't care about, but I don't spend my time on those forums interacting with people who do care. It just seems like a such a waste of time if you're that jaded. I mean, wouldn't a person rather be on a forum about some topic where they can say "Wow, I didn't even know about this but I'll check it out!" instead? But hey, whatever people choose to do with their own time is fine..

None taken......

It's nice that you are enthusiastic all the time, but not all of us can be like that....I suspect that if you really drilled down into the detail of what was posted, it's not nearly as negative as you think...after all, we tend to remember negative things more vividly than positive.

I'm sorry you find my posting not to your liikng, but I can guarantee that every word is my honest opinion..you don't have to like or understand it.

I'm still not buying it ;-) 

On 11/18/2023 at 2:04 PM, Rush Didact said:

 

That's a bizarre attitude. It's an enjoyable and entertaining read even if you AREN'T a Rush fan. For a fan, I consider it essential.

That's nice dear.....I still have no intention of buying it...to clarify, I like Rush's music....I have ZERO interest in their lives outside of this.

Didn't even know about this book until now and have no intention of buying it.

People who hoot and holler at ant event for any reason should be lined up against a wall and executed by firing squad......

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ren_(British_musician)

Just recently come across this guy and didn't find a thread about him.

He is absolutely astonishing and genre defining and I thoroughly recommend checking him out

17 hours ago, Timbale said:

Always nice to chat about Rush with fellow fans - such an enjoyable community to be part of.  The three band members are so revered by their fan base for being thoughtful and kind people - you can really see that reflected in the people that love the band.

Can I have the last two minutes of my life back please?

4 hours ago, Principled Man said:

"Shit...no one can play Crazy Train."

 

-- Said some schmuck who doubted my friend's ability to play it during his band's practice session.  We didn't hear much from him after my friend (a naturally gifted guitar player) played it.   

 

[My best memory of Ozzy's first album shortly after it was released]       

Without boasting it's actually considerably easier than it sounds.

$150?....money grubbing bastard!....

4 minutes ago, JARG said:

His right hand is as fast as ever. His left hand can no longer keep up.

I think his Psoriatic Arthritis has a lot to do with this.